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Junior Boks end poor Championship run with seven-try win over Wales
By Liam Heagney
The Junior Boks broke their three-game losing streak at the World Rugby U20 Championship, comfortably beating Wales 47-31 with a seven-try effort at the Cape Town Stadium in the seventh/eighth place play-off.
Bafana Nhleko’s injury-hit side had lost twice to Argentina and England in their recent outings at a variety of venues following their opening night win over Fiji on June 29, but they took their frustration out on the Welsh, who came into the rankings decider having lost at the tournament to Australia, France and New Zealand.
A match day two win over Spain, who dramatically relegated Fiji with a sudden death try on Friday morning, was Wales’ only win at the Championship and hopes that they might extend South Africa’s misery got lost in a disappointing opening half-hour where they conceded three tries.
Skipper Zach Porthen got the hosts motoring on 10 minutes and other tries followed from Sibabalwe Mahashe and JF van Heerden to generate a 19-point gap that was reduced to 19-5 at the interval by Walker Price’s try.
Mahashe (46) and crowd favourite Bathobele Hlekani (56) then scored South African tries either side of one for Wales from Aidan Boschoff to make it 33-10.
The Welsh thought they might make things interesting with a Steffan Emanuel intercept try on 62 minutes, but the Junior Boks quickly responded with scores from Asad Moos (64) and Porthen’s second (68) to spin the lead out to 47-17.
Wales finished brightly, though, with a well-worked 73rd-minute try in the corner from the lively Price and a last-play 82nd-minute Owen Conquer score.
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Latest Comments
There is a major story unfolding around Gleeson's bar in Booterstown, South Dublin City last night. Beaudy Barrett, DMac and Cody Taylor were there. DMac was supposed to be on the Guinness 0.0 but lets just say it didn't turn out that way.
Hours later, Dmac out cold, head on the table with a long stallagtite of flem and spittle rising and falling with his breathing. There is a video apparently.
The barman barred a staggering Taylor from any more Guinness but Taylor kept pushing past him, pulled a seat up to the Guinness tap and personally pulled himself pints, claiming it was 'celebrity pint pulls mate'.
One of these celebrity pint pulls made a local paper but it's only a matter of time before the real context comes out. Dmac is out of the team for Friday due to breaking 'internal standards', Sititi starting at 10.
Go to commentsNow that made me laugh bull!
I tell you what though, the head knock from Kriel on Hugh jones in the wc that didn’t result in any card was a real mystery with the way things are now.
Also suspect the Boks will be pretty well motivated by glasgows antics in stellenbosch last week and loftus in June…
Should be a cracker hopefully!
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